FOR ROYALTY, the dam of 2016 La Brea (G1) winner Constellation, brought a final bid of $2.1 million from Summer Wind Equine at Wednesday’s second session of the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Hip No. 244 was consigned by Denali Stud (Craig & Holly Bandoroff), agent.
A 10-year-old daughter of Not for Love, For Royalty has also reared the stakes-placed Back Flip and Upper Room, and was offered in foal to Bernardini on a May 6 cover. She’s out of stakes-winning Irish Open mare Taft Lil Queen, who also reared Grade 2 winner Kiss to Remember and Puerto Rican champion El Viento.
“She fits my program – actually she was probably our top pick here,” Summer Wind owner Jane Lyon said. “We’re so excited to have her, and to have three now who are producers and pregnant, that’s it. Her pedigree and the fact that she’s a relatively young mare (with) multiple stakes horses – you don’t see that often, so we’re pretty excited.”
Summer Wind Equine also purchased BELLE WATLING for $1.05 million. Dam of the Grade 2 winners War Story and Land Over Sea, the 12-year-old Pulpit mare is in foal to Medaglia d’Oro on a February 19 cover. Hip 204 was consigned by Brookdale Sales, agent for Jack Swain.
ENCHANTED ROCK, the dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Verrazano and Grade 2 victor El Padrino, was gaveled down to Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm for $2 million. Hip 238 was offered by Gainesway, agent, and is carrying a full sibling to Verrazano on a March 23 cover to More Than Ready.
A 13-year-old mare by Giant’s Causeway, Enchanted Rock was reared by Grade 1 winner Chic Shirine and is a half-sister to Grade 2 winners Waldoboro and Tara Roma. Grade 1 winner Somali Lemonade also hails from this family.
“Peter Brant and I are old friends; we go way back,” breeder Emory Hamilton said. “He will board her at Claiborne Farm and they are old friends, too. It is a good situation.”
Don Alberto Corporation was a prominent buyer Wednesday, going to $1.8 million for ROYAL OBSESSION and to $1.7 million for 2016 Test (G1) winner PAOLA QUEEN. A four-year-old filly by Tapit, the Grade 2-placed Royal Obsession was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, and was offered in foal to Curlin on an April 14 cover. Hip 316 is out of the Tiznow mare Rote, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Magnificent Song.
“It’s a great combination of Tapit and Tiznow. She has some features of Tapit with the size of Tiznow, which we love,” said Fabricio Buffolo of Don Alberto.
Paola Queen retired with a mark of 10-2-2-1, $431,490, and was offered as a broodmare prospect by ELiTE Sales as Hip 297. Out of multiple stakes winner Kadira, by Kafwain, Paola Queen counts as her second dam the multiple Grade 2-winning Raw Gold. Grade 1 queen Point Ashley also hails from this female family.
Don Alberto, in partnership with Three Chimneys Farm, also secured Chilean champion WAPI for $1.05 million. The five-year-old Scat Daddy mare was offered in foal to Curlin on an April 1 cover. Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency, agent, Hip 181 is out of a stakes-winning full sister to fellow Chilean champions We Can Seek and Weekend Trip, all by Seeker’s Reward.
SKY GIRL, a Grade 3-winning half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Abel Tasman, the favorite to be named champion three-year-old filly of 2017, went to Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch for $1.5 million. Mill Ridge Sales, agent, consigned Hip 330, who was offered in foal to Union Rags on an April 21 cover.
Winner of the 2013 Dogwood (G3), the seven-year-old is out of Vargas Girl, a Deputy Minister half-sister to Grade 1 winner Bevo and Grade 3-winning producer Moonlight Sonata.
Denali Stud, agent for Respite Farm, sold LUCKY TO BE ME to Katsumi Yoshida for $1.25 million. The dam of 2016 champion juvenile filly Champagne Room, Lucky to Be Me was sold in foal to Uncle Mo on a February 17 cover. A 10-year-old daughter of Bernstein, she’s out of Belle Erzulie, by Pulpit.
A weanling half-brother to Grade 1 winner and sire Violence sold to Andre Lynch, agent, for $1 million. The February 8 colt by Curlin is out of Violent Beauty, by Gone West, and counts as his third dam Hall of Fame filly Sky Beauty. Hip 365’s fourth dam was multiple Grade 1 winner Maplejinsky, a half-sister to European sprint champion Dayjur.
“(I bought him for) a syndicate, to go racing,” Lynch said. “(He was) the best foal of the sale. Great mover, quality, had everything. Loved his pedigree; hopefully, he runs.”
There were two seven-figure buybacks at the session. The highest was TWIRL, the last horse through the ring as Hip 366A, who was led out unsold following a $3.1 million bid. Hill ‘n’ Dale consigned the stakes-winning half-sister to Irish highweight Misty for Me, the dam of multiple Group 1 winners and recent Breeders’ Cup entries Roly Poly and U S Navy Flag.
Book 1 of the sale ended Wednesday with a decline in gross due to comparatively fewer horses selling over the first two days, but with increases in average and median.
At the conclusion of trading on day two, 105 horses had sold for $41,692,000, down 21 percent from last year’s corresponding session when 138 head brought $52,674,000. The session average was up 3.8 percent, from $397,067 to $382,348, while the median jumped 9.6 percent, from $260,000 to $285,000.
With two sessions in the books, 201 horses have grossed $83,996,000, down 18.4 percent from last year at this point when 253 had sold for $102,919,000. However, the average is up 2.7 percent, from $406,794 to $417,891, while the median has risen 15.4 percent, from $260,000 to $300,000.
The sale continues daily through November 18 with sessions beginning at 10 a.m. (EST). Full results can be found at keeneland.com.
